FT2AFS: Acting for Screen

Module code: FT2AFS

Module provider: Film, Theatre and TV; School of Arts and Comm Design

Credits: 20

ECTS credits: 10

Level: 5

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor:

Pre-requisite module(s): BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE FT1ITA (Compulsory)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded: IN TAKING THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT TAKE FT2PRO OR TAKE FT2ACT (Compulsory)

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2026/7

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 25 March 2026

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This practical studio-based module will focus on acting skills and theories needed for screen. Drawing on facilities across FTT, you will build on acting skills developed in Part 1, applying them specifically to screen-based and digital media. Through practical workshops, supervised exercises and screened scene study and reflective discussion, you will develop a practical and theoretical understanding of the skills required for acting in front of a camera.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Identify and critically reflect on screen acting practices, theorists and practitioners, and apply this knowledge to their own practice.
2. Apply critical and practical skills relevant to screen performance and production styles, techniques and conventions.
3. Work collaboratively to develop a scene for screen that creatively interprets script, dialogue and characterisation.

Module content

Students will practically develop individualised techniques and processes required for screen acting, within genre-specific contexts . This will include identifying strategies that prioritise respect and well-being in demanding creative environments, facilitating effective processes that empower them to produce their best work. Students will also learn about and critically analyse various screen performances to gain insight into their cultural and historical significance, as well as the range of techniques and skills professional actors utilise for a screen performance. This will include how production cultures and power dynamics within the screen industry influence creativity and the politics of production. The key skills of the module will be merging critical debates of screen acting and their own performance work for camera. The practical assessment will focus on recording a short scene to camera for a showreel including the developing of basic editing skills.

Students may have the opportunity to gain experience and understanding of performance with new screen technologies (e.g. Augmented reality in screen performance).

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Workshops and rehearsals will be the primary mode of teaching in this module. Within these, mini-seminars and lectures will be included to analyse the relevant texts and performance/acting theorists and techniques. Students will need to carry out their own independent research on the script and relevant contexts, as well as familiarise themselves with key debates for acting for screen and digital media that will inform and support their own creative work. Students should be prepared to memorise scripts, develop their own approach to scenes and perform to camera. Professional and ethical behaviour will be expected within collaborative group work to produce a recorded scene. Students will be encouraged to hone their craft further through voluntary participations in short films developed by students on other degrees. 

Study hours

At least 40 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each calendar day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three calendar days;
• where the piece of work is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in you Individual Learning Plan), the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three calendar days of the deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

Where a piece of work is submitted late after a deadline which has been revised owing to an extension granted through the Assessment Adjustments policy and process (self-certified or otherwise), it will be subject to the maximum penalty (i.e., considered to be more than three calendar days late). This will also apply when such an extension is used in conjunction with a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative feedback will be given in class through formative practical exercises and observed rehearsal.

Reassessment

Additional costs